Present day vehicles such as, but not limited to, sport utility vehicles (“SUV's”), vans, mini-vans, flatbed trucks, and the like provide increased storage capacity over traditional station wagons, with the storage is typically being a single large rear compartment behind the last row of seats. Some vehicle manufacturers have developed flexible covers that cover a portion of the compartment, e.g., to reduce exposure to the sun or prevent the contents from being viewed by people on the outside. These flexible covers are not well adapted to support any appreciable weight. Cargo nets have been used to reduce adverse movement of the contents during transport, but likewise cannot support appreciable weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,128 B1, issued to the same inventor as the present invention, provides an improved shelf assembly designed for typical use in a flat bed pickup truck with a topper installed. That unit is designed, in part, for slidable use in a compartment that is typically longer than a conventional SUV or mini-van. Other patents exist which disclose various types of toolboxes and storage areas.
It would be desirable to have an adjustable and removable shelf to increase effective storage capacity, such as for groceries or other items which are currently either stacked on top of each other, or not able to be effectively stored. It would also be desirable to have an adjustable shelf that is able to be mounted in a vehicle's storage compartment area and adapt to various widths and heights of the possible compartment. It would also be desirable for such a shelf to be removable from the vehicle and be able to be used as a free-standing table for independent use.